Languages
Common Tongues Northern Common ''' This is the most common language spoken by humans and traders of all races of the lands surrounding the vast Sea at the heart of the north-western third of the known world, and by many more primitive folk in the scarcely charted inland portions of that region. As such, it is sometimes called the Sea Tongue. It is spoken by the humans of the Twin Kingdom, and is one of the two languages the Pharaoh uses to address her subjects. '''Southern Common This is the most common language spoken by traders and coastal folk of most races who dwell on the vast Ocean in the southern third of the known world. As such, it is sometimes called the Ocean Tongue. Although it is more closely restricted to coastal regions that Northern Common, even traders from far beyond the scope of the known world who ply their craft on the possibly infinite Ocean seem to speak it; some therefore claim that it is the most widely spoken tongue in the world, although it is rarely heard in the North and the Inland East. Parthic This is the tongue of the Grand Empire of Parthia, the land of the Zoroastrians, and the most widely spoken tongue in the Inland East region of the known world. In recent years, with the fall of the evil Ashurite Empire, the lands immediately to the west have begun to adopt Parthic speech and Parthic customs, as many of their old ways and their Old Speech have been lost. High Elvish This is the tongue of the civilized elves, and is spoken in pockets throughout the known world. It is one of the two tongues that the Pharaoh uses to speak to her people, and one of the two chief tongues of the Twin Kingdoms. Though the Sea Elves who ply their trade upon the Ocean almost always speak Southern Common, they universally prefer to do business in High Elvish. Orcish Though the Ashurite Empire has dissolved, the vast territories it once held remain largely held by the forces of evil. In the territories where the Enemy still holds power, Orcish is the most common language, although invariably Draconic remains the preferred tongue of the elite. Uncommon Tongues Draconic The metallic dragons and the draconids (vile crossbreeds of chromatic dragons, demons, and humanoids) were the elite ruling class of the Ashurite Empire, and the local nobles and tribal chiefs who fell under their sway tended to adopt their tongue quickly. Of course, the benevolent metallic dragons and other more reclusive and less malevolent dragon species also speak this language. In recent years its use has been on the decline as the draconids and metallic dragons fall to in-fighting and uprisings from their conquered people, along with continued pressure from the Parthic Empire and the Twin Kingdom, but it is still a common enough tongue. Sylvan This tongue is widely spoken by Fey and by beings who find themselves, willingly or unwillingly, to be subservient or subordinate toward them. Therefore it is most commonly spoken in remote regions, far from civilization--but it can be encountered anywhere in the known world. Old Speech This tongue was once known as Central Common, or even just as Common--but the home regions from which it emerged have spent centuries under the Ashurite Empire, and it is now far less frequently encountered than before the recent dark age. Goblin The Hobgoblins were, alongside the Orcs, one of the chief components of the Ashurite Empire's enormous army. However, their superior organization and military skill lead to them generally being kept on the front line of the Empire's eternal war, and therefore their language was not as widely adopted as Orcish among occupied territories. Goblins speak it too, but were generally viewed as too erratic and weak for the Ashurite Empire to make use of, and were generally exterminated; Bugbears have always been too few in number and too malevolent toward other races to make much of an impact on how widely it is spoken. As a result, it is rarely spoken by non-Goblinoids. Wild Elvish This primitive tongue is spoken by Elves who dwell in tribal bands far from civilization--those who have not been subjugated by the Fae, at any rate. Dwarvish Dwarves speak this. Rare Tongues There are many additional obscure tongues--the usual racial tongues of more uncommon races like Gnomes, Vanaras, and Giants are spoken by their respective peoples and possibly others within areas where they dwell. There are also many tribal and local dialects, some of which are unintelligible to outsiders. Be sure to find trustworthy interpreters when traveling far off the beaten path! Written Language Cuneiform This oldest form of language originated in the city states of the Inland East many centuries ago. It is useful mainly for accounting, and is commonly used by traders throughout the known world. Hieroglyphics This pictogram-based language is capable of communicating more complex concepts than cuneiform, but it is difficult to write and slower to read. It is chiefly used in funereal magic and to inscribe important information on monuments. Dwarf Runes Dwarves use this. It is like hieroglyphics, but for Dwarves.